Video: QNX showcases tricked-out Car 2.0 infotainment platform

Shane McGlaun, 19th January 2013

There were a surprising number of vehicles and related automotive technology on display at CES 2013 earlier this month in Las Vegas, including QNX's Car 2.0 platform which was neatly packed into a (concept) Bentley GT.

As you can see in the video below, the QNX Car 2.0 platform drives dual screens, as well as a dashboard with a large center display.

The QNX system also boasts virtual gauges for the dash cluster that the user can control and configure, along with a large entertainment screen located in the center console area. Behind the scenes is TI DLP technology, a TI OMAP5 processor, and a TI Jacinto chip - all running the QNX Neutrino RTOS.

All that hardware works together to run the slightly curved full HD resolution display in the center console. One of the more interesting features of that large touch screen is that it uses pretouch technology, meaning the display is capable of sensing when your hand is near the screen and automatically opens a virtual menu.

As noted above, the dashboard is equipped with virtual gauges, and can therefore be outfitted with nearly limitless virtual tachometers, speedometers, and other car-related data. In addition, QNX supports numerous features, including media player, climate control, and full-duplex videoconferencing with 7 kHz audio.

You can see a full demo of the system in the video above. One of my favorite parts of the clip? Many of the car systems are controllable using a smartphone, including the ability to open and close windows, open the doors, and more.

As expected, QNX supports surround view cameras, multiple concurrent high-definition displays, USB 3.0, and more. Personally, I hope the system is much asier to use than the MyFord Touch virtual game system which has given Ford so much grief. Indeed, the auto manufacturer has declined significantly in customer satisfaction rankings due to the complicated virtual infotainment system in some of its vehicles.